During September we will be vacationing in northern Arizona and southern Utah, visiting a number of national parks. For a few days our son and his wife will come from Denver and join us in Moab, Utah. Is there any flyfishing around Moab? It would be nice (and a continuation of what’s become a ritual) for Alan and me to go flyfishing together.
Thanks in advance for any info.
John
Winter Springs, FL
You’ll be hard pressed to find anything close to Moab that would be worth packing the gear.
The colorado river runs right through the north end of Moab, but in all my years down there I never once saw anyone fish it and haven’t ever heard of anyone fishing it. I’m sure you might be able to find carp and catfish, but that is going to be it.
Now, if you’re going to be in N. AZ and around that area, check out some spots on Lake Powell. If you can find them, there are some massive wipers in that lake. The only problem is that you’re going to be driving about 3 hours from Moab to any decent places on Lake Powell.
Then there is the Boulder Mountains which are also down in S. UT but, again you’re looking at about a 3-4+ hour drive. The Boulders are covered with high alpine lakes and most are just teeming with brookies and some cutts. Some are stocked by the UDWR with bows as well. If you do head up, don’t go without 4x4.
Unfortunately, that corner of the state is about the only area of the state that doesn’t have incredibly fishing opps.
The nearest FF-ing to Moab I am familiar with is the lower Dolores between Dove Creek and Cortez, CO. 90 minutes from Moab at least.
Try this: http://www.utahonthefly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5229
Tim
This is another good one:
http://utahwildlife.net/forum/
FlyFlinger:
If I were there, and I have been, I’d be tempted to drive to the San Juan or to the Green. Those are two of the best in the area, and even though neither is a short stroll, once you get that far from home you are still pretty close.
I have not checked water levels on the San Juan, but they are supposed to be high this summer because of so much snowpack. It is expected that the flushing will improve things once the water level settles back down.
If you go to the SJ, you make it a scenic trip and stop by the 4 corners monument. That area around Dove Creek, CO is interesting farm country, it’s a big farming area, and the pinto bean or pea capital of the world or something to that effect.
Since I guide on the San Juan and drive over to moab a few times a year, thought I would jump in.
The flows on the Juan have been back to normal since mid-June, fishing has been good.
The drive is around 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
DO NOT fish the Dolores below Mcphee dam as the fishing has gone to hell in there.
The Rivers around Telluride are a little closer to Moab, for Info. call Tellurideoutside.
Good luck, as you are a long way from trout water when you are in Moab.
What Bubba said. Don’t fish below McPhee. There are no big brown trout there. Honest. You cannot catch fish on dries. Trust me on this. I absolutely do not ever catch fish when I go down there every month or so on my weekends in Cortez.
It isn’t like it was in the heyday of brand new tailwater, before the river settled down to what it was actually capable of carrying (and BuRec still runs it almost dry), but it is still a beautiful water, and there are some nice fish in it, if you can find a place to fish between the guides. It is what it is, but do not expect it to fish like the Juan.
You can always come up here and fish the Gunnison. There’s no fish in it, either, tho. :rolleyes:
Dennis
DG,
Honestly if you are going to drive for a few hours, would you fish a river that holds some nice fish but not many. With a CFS of 5 ? Not to mention sometimes there are more fisherman than fish! lived in Rico for over 10 years fished it almost every day back then. That river is a mere shadow of what it was. It is all about CFS.
Now the Gunny, nice.
Yes, I will drive 4 hours from here to the folks’ place, then an hour to the Lower D, to catch three or four (or none, or a dozen) trout. I try to avoid weekends, but it doesn’t always work. But I will no longer drive another hour to go to the Juan. It isn’t all about how many fish you can catch in a day.
I haven’t seen it at 5 cfs. 15 is as low as it has flowed in my memory. And yes, it would be a much nicer river if it had 150 as a minimum. Sigh.
No it should never be about how many you catch in a day. However, Flyflinger is on a vacation. Sadly, the lo-do is not a place to fish for the time it takes to get there.
If my memory is correct ( and I might be off a bit) from "91 thru about '97 or so, flows on the lo-do were around 5 CFS at low flow, it killed a fantastic river. Very sad.